THE WEST BANK:
A COLLECTION OF GRAPHIC NOVELS
Edited by Rebecca Cox Cover Design by Insaf Al-Shahed Sponsored by Project Hope
Dedicated to the people of Palestine Project Hope was founded in Nablus, a city of in the West Bank of Palestine in 2003, a time of massive incursions by Israeli forces, extended curfews, and continuous raids of homes. Since then, this CanadianPalestinian NGO has provided educational, recreational and health programs to the children and youth of Nablus, particularly in those areas most affected by the violence of the Occupation, the refugee camps and the Old City. Nablus has been a prison for nine years now: all but a few roads into the city have been blocked and the remaining few controlled by Israeli military checkpoints which severely restrict the ability of people to enter or leave the city. Despite this, hundreds of international volunteers have managed to come here to work in the different programs and to provide youth and children with something positive, alleviating some of their feelings of isolation and deprivation. The impact of these volunteers, equipped with lesson plans and backpack, has been immense. Project Hope is the largest volunteer organization in the West Bank. From language, photography and art classes to summer camps and projects such as drama and mural painting, Project Hope attempts to provide a safe haven for children and youth to learn and heal the psychological traumas of the Occupation. The West Bank Graphic Novels project was one of these endeavors which aimed to help the community develop another small form of non-violent resistance to the Occupation. This book is a collection of graphic novels drawn by twelve students from An-Najah University in Nablus. They contain very real depictions of life in Palestine and solidarity of the community. Over a three week period, the students were taught the genre of graphic novels from a sequential art standpoint and built on this to produce five page short stories. From storyboarding to final inking, every step has been a learning experience and we are pleased to produce the first collection of graphic novels created by youth in the West Bank. Some forbearance on the part of the reader is necessary. From knowing nothing whatsoever about graphic novels, the students had three weeks to conceptualize and produce their stories. Inevitably this had an impact on the quality of the work: some of the artwork is rushed; some stories weak in part; some ideas not fully developed; and sometimes there is an over-reliance on standard images and stories rather than new ones. However, the stories do retain a freshness, a passion, and a sense of hope which transcends the limitations of time restraints and I feel the stories will find a resonance among people everywhere who care about social justice and who are interested in the lived experiences and aspirations of a people who have suffered terribly. There are also limitations in other aspects of this book. The decision to publish it first in Palestine meant that we had four weeks to prepare a finished copy for the printer. That it was to do so, particularly in the conditions of the West Bank under Occupation, is rather miraculous. Again though, the rush has led to flaws and limitations; we would have liked better introductions to the stories, more about the authors, more about their learning process, more about the melding of a Western art form with Palestinian culture, more about the significance of graphic novels and so on. We hope, though, that while this is our first, it won’t be our last graphic novel and that we will learn from our mistakes so that future novels will be more polished but equally fresh and authentic.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction .....................................................................................4 Freedom to Play ............................................................................ 6 The Promise ................................................................................. 12 Self Discovery ............................................................................ 20 The Lost Right ............................................................................ 26 Always Beside You .................................................................. 32 Miriam .......................................................................................... 38 Summer Rain ............................................................................... 44 The Return ................................................................................... 50 Oreef’s Hawk ............................................................................... 56 On this earth we deserve life .................................................. 62 Free Reign .................................................................................... 68 The Lost Olives .......................................................................... 74
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Introduction by the Editor My admiration for Palestine grew out of the eyes of these students, so brave and resilient. Life here is complicated but the people’s love for one another and their heightened sense of community is motivating. Before arriving to the West Bank, I had envisioned a frustrated community, unhopeful of their situation and full of feelings of hatred. I expected the people to be suspicious of foreigners and to feel abandoned and isolated. I had serious concerns about what my role would be, how the students would respond to a foreigner touting the joys of the graphic novel. However, I suppressed my fears with the hope that this art program could have a therapeutic value and developing relationships with the students could alleviate some of their feelings of abandonment. In the context of systemic violence and deprivation which marks Palestine, it was impossible to hope for much, but I knew I wanted to carry out this project. Volunteers and humanitarian workers are actively prevented from working in the West Bank. Arriving at the Ben Gurion airport or trying to enter the West Bank through Jordan involves daunting questions from Israeli immigration officials about your purpose. Those who admit they are planning on volunteering in the West Bank are usually not allowed to enter. I arrived at Ben Gurion with a story of being a tourist visiting the Holy Land and was allowed in. As I passed the security gates and met the driver waiting to take me to the Project Hope in Nablus, I could feel the tension and suspicion surrounding me. Having not experienced a warm welcome to Israel, I only expected it to get worse entering the Palestinian Territories. I was able to observe my surroundings and even through my hazy jetlag, I could see the effects of war on both sides of the military fencing that lined the highway on my way to the West Bank. As we passed from checkpoint to checkpoint, the sun rose over the hilltops and glazed the sides of the white stone buildings. Suddenly, the highway had changed to a winding rough terrain and I couldn>t help but notice the Israeli flag flying even more predominantly, attached to all the lampposts. I was confused, was I in Israel or did the change in highway signal I was the West Bank? With all the checkpoints and random sections of fencing I was unsure where I was. The driver could see my confusion and promptly explained that we were in Occupied Palestine. I couldn't help but think that the flags were some sort of confrontational statement meant to symbolize Israel's power and ultimate intention. Was this declaration of power necessary? Did it only incite further frustrations among a population deprived of human rights? I had arrived in the West Bank and was about to venture deeper into the interior towards Nablus, the 'Head of the Snake' as it is sometimes called in Israel. My heart felt heavy, pounding to the beat of the Arabic music in the car; I was unsure what to expect. The deeper we drove in, the more destruction there was and greater intensity of checkpoints. Settlements seemed to be strategically placed on hill tops as we drove through the West Bank. As the morning grew later, people began to emerge from their houses and within minutes we pulled up at the Project Hope office in Nablus. Nablus is a beautiful city with a vibrant culture isolated from Western trends, distinguishing it from its neighboring city, Ramallah. At one time, Nablus was the economic centre of the West Bank with all major government offices situated there. The road closures, restrictive checkpoints and surrounding settlements have destroyed the economy of Nablus and led to the transfer of governmental institutions and companies to Ramallah. As I arrived in the city I was astonished by its natural beauty and fascinated with its liveliness. I was welcomed with random shouts of hello from across the market place and children screaming at the top of 4
their lungs ‘I love you’. Coming from a western society socialized to have distance and detachment from our families, I was amazed by how affectionate Palestinian people are. I found this loving, courteous nature to be a cultural highlight of the community and for this reason I wish I had been able to stay longer. After arranging my schedule with Project Hope and the necessary paperwork, I headed to An-Najah University to confirm the class for the graphic novel project. I glanced over the names of my twelve students with my imagination running wild; who were they and what would they write about? Meeting and working with these students forever changed my perspective on the world and the power relations that exist within it. How could these people be so demonized, punished daily while passing through checkpoints, enduring random invasions and terror raids by soldiers, and all while the outside world turns a blind eye? This collection of graphic novel stories is essentially a form of peaceful resistance and awareness building, hoping to educate the world on the personal experience and emotion of Palestinian youth. Developing awareness internationally through education and various forms of expression about the ongoing Occupation of Palestine is vital to their liberation. Because of the importance of graphic novels in western popular culture and its ability to reach across different audiences, sequential art, I believe, can make an important contribution to the cause of Palestinian freedom. Considering the students were for the most part, unfamiliar with this art form, their raw talent in this medium is surprising as was their ability to comprehend critical elements of sequential art in a matter of days. With only three weeks to complete the project, we began with some of the most famous graphic novels and studied the techniques of illustrators. Then we brainstormed story lines that depicted life in Palestine. The definition of their task was essential, being able to imagine a provocative story that was based on personal experience. As you will see, some students such as Ahmed Masri and Nisreen Qawwas, chose to explicitly draw their personal experiences while others used their own experience to draw a fictional graphic story. Using this Palestinian youth perspective, their collection of work will guide you through the daily struggles of life in the West Bank. I was intrigued to see that although images of violence, imprisonment and death do have their place in the artwork, the underlying tone was the desire for peace and community. This willingness to work towards peace despite the Israeli military Occupation, internal conflict between Palestinian factions, and being abandoned by the Arab world was what made me passionate about the struggle to liberate and bring freedom to Palestine.
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Freedom to Play
Samia Abu Ra’ed In Nablus and surrounding villages, children feel the affects of war and occupation in a multitude of ways. For the most part, children the world over have the freedom to study safely at school and play with their friends. In Palestine, children study and play in an environment where the fear of sudden catastrophic violence is always present. These fears and constant uncertainty about the future are evident in the artwork created by children in Nablus. In Project Hope, teachers of the children’s art classes are often appalled by the images the children produce. It’s clear that for children there is no such thing as a safe haven. In Freedom to Play, Samia wanted to portray the differences between rights of children of Palestine and those of children in the outside world. The story examines the impact of a random bombing of a school in Nablus, something that has happened all over the West Bank and Gaza. Sara is a small girl who is enjoying her day at school when during an invasion of the city by the IDF (the Israeli army), the school is hit. There is pain, death, and sorrow, but the story ends with the children holding hands in a demonstration of strength against their attackers. A second year student in the Faculty of Fine Arts at An-Najah University, Samia has been drawing for over ten years. She is now focusing on improving the technical side of her design capability. After university, Samia hopes to work in graphic design in the Middle East. As an avid reader of fiction novels, she is fascinated by the world of the imagination where she can explore ideas about utopian societies. From a large family which has lived for many generations in Nablus, Samia wants to see her community prosper and to help build safe environments for children.
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The Promise
Insaf Al-Shahed Traveling through the West Bank, I couldn’t help but notice the sea of children’s faces peeking around the corners of the white stone buildings. I fell in love with the children here and was horrified to find out the harsh circumstances under which many live, perhaps especially the orphans of the West Bank and Gaza. When a child is orphaned, their life can become one of despair, filled with feelings of rejection. Although orphanages in the Arab world are not common, because of the Occupation of Palestine there is unfortunately a great need for them here as many children have been orphaned by the continual violence. The economic devastation of Palestine, the destruction of industry and farmland, and restrictions on movement has meant there are few resources for orphanages. They continue to receive only minimal funding and this means, for example, that sometimes siblings must be separated, adding to their trauma. Coming from a wealthier Palestinian family living in Saudi Arabia, Insaf came to the West Bank to study because of her sense of belonging and her desire to work with her country’s children. This story is based on her own experience of working in Nablus orphanages and feeling the children’s despair on being separated from siblings. The Promise deals with the journey of a boy to find his kid sister in another orphanage. People help him in his quest but bureaucracy and lost paperwork continually throw up obstacles. Insaf was born in Saudi Arabia but her entire family is from Nablus. Although she has lived away from Palestine most of her life, she is passionate about being here to help her country. Palestinians over the world, she believes, share the same cause. At An-Najah University Insaf is completing a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Graphic Design and she hopes to do to graduate work in Illustration. During her first year here, Insaf spent many hours visiting orphanages and listening to the personal stories of the children. As an artist she has always been fascinated by animal characters and their expressions, and she hopes that one day she will be able to visit the world, especially the wildlife of East Asia and Africa.
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Ohh look at them
What about Lamar?
Dad, can I name her? Ok…if it’s good we’ll keep it
Well is a v , Lamar name ery good …O we’ll k, I think keep it
REA L YEA LY H So Yazan, you are Lamar’s big brother so take care of her, ok?
Good job little guy
OPEN THE DOOR NOW
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What’s going on? Hide the children quickly
What a dream, I think I overslept
I wonder where you are now. I wish I could see you
I’m going to find you
I promise
Yazan,
Miss Sarah wants to see you now!!
At Miss Sarah’s office…
OH GOD… PLEASE
Hey, good morning sunshine. How are you today? Take a seat
Good morning Miss Sarah 14
Mmmmm, rched well we sea and… everywhere
AND…
Did you find her? It’s the address of her orphanage
What is it? What’s wrong? You didn’t find her?
WHAT?
Just take it
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You found her?
age in Nablus She entered the orphan came here on the same date you
Thanx Miss Sarah, I…I love you Come on Miss Sarah take me to her… please
You’re welcome
Well, we can’t go today
If you’re ready we’ll go tomorrow
What? Now?
Yes
It’s my homet own right? ,
Beautiful city huh?
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Of co ur I’m se ready
I’m here Lamar, just like I promised our mom
Wait here a little bit ok?
ok
Can you help me find my friends… I can’t find them
Oh my God it’s her, Lamar! 17
Too bad she’s not the one we’re looking for
I’ve found you at last
Poor boy
Are you ok?
You’re sooo beautiful, just like our mom
Me?
Now I remember, there was a girl who entered the orphanage a week before the date you gave me. Maybe she’s the one
Our mom? You… you mean you… you are my brother?
I think he’s found her
Four years ago, when you were born, the Israeli army attacked our neighborhood with bombs and tanks. They destroyed the whole street looking for someone. Our parents died protecting us and I was taken to the hospital. When I woke up I couldn’t find you. I have been looking for you ever since.
That’s the girl I was talking about
What happened to them and where were you? The Tulkarm orphanage accepted Lamar, and the two orphans lived together happily ever after
I e rem mber that day…
Forget that day, brother
I did it mom, just like I promised.
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Self Discovery
May Shouli
In Palestine, as elsewhere, the issue of gender roles is a complex one. Here culture, religion, history, ideology, economics and geography come into play, but so do factors such as dispossession, military Occupation, restriction of movement and resistance. Women have faced their own particular oppressions under the Occupation, seeing their children arrested wounded and killed, dealing with sexual harassment from soldiers at checkpoints and in their homes, having to give birth in ambulances and on streets when prevented by checkpoints from reaching hospitals. They have also played a vital role in resistance, in neighborhood committees, in student groups, in boycott and tax strike campaigns, as spokespeople and as fighters. In Palestine, ideas about the appropriate roles for women are varied. Views in the smaller villages and refugee camps differ from those in the more open society of Ramallah. Generally, middle and upper middle class families have different ideas than poor working class families. In all cases though, the experience of a girl’s journey to womanhood is a complex one, full of tensions, anxieties, hopes and fears, and feelings of loss and gain. Often the struggle is one against the pressures to conform to community norms of gender roles. May’s story deals with one strand of that experience. It perhaps reflects the small village view more than that of the big city, but it is her perception of one such journey. Self Discovery is about May’s own transition into womanhood. As a fourteen year old she is a ‘tom-boy’, playing sports, wearing boys’ clothes and hanging out with the guys, despite the ridicule of other girls. Gradually, though, she decides to reinvent her image and find a new balance between independence and constraint, becoming more feminine but she still enjoy's riding her bike and flying her kite. May is in her final year at university studying Painting. Coming from the small village of Asira, outside of Nablus, her upbringing reflects a much different reality than students from the city or larger villages. The Occupation has served to strengthen her village’s tight knit system of mutual support, and May wants to remain apart of this. She hopes to pursue a Masters in Painting and Art History in Syria and reflect Palestine’s vibrant history in her artwork. One day May told me, "I am Palestinian, I am the trees, the land, the people and I will always remain so, even when I die".
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If only I was a boy…
Other girls may laugh, but I don’t care!
I wish I had friends to play with
Hmmm, Hmmm
HEY, can I play?
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WOOOOHOOOO
I’m just as good
Look at the tom-boy HAHAHA
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u
Oh no, I think he saw me
re yo a , a Hah ok?
Ugh, I’m too boyish for him. He wants a girly girl.
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, Stupid bike is! enough of th
I need to be more feminine?
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The Next Day
t’s
Wha
e?
nam your
Oh no, another tom-boy. She’ll figure it out soon enough.
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The Lost Right
Nahlah Shamasneh Located in the Old City of Jerusalem, the Al-Aqsa Mosque is the most important holy site in the region for Palestinian Muslims. It is the place where the prophet Mohammed prayed before setting out on his journey to Mecca and then to heaven. Muslims believe that a prayer at Al-Aqsa is worth 500 prayers in an ordinary .mosque and before the closure of the West Bank many Palestinians made the journey to Al-Aqsa The Second Intifada (uprising), also called the Al-Aqsa Intifada, began in 2000 when the future Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, accompanied by hundreds of armed riot police, entered the grounds of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. This violation of sacred space sparked demonstrations during which scores were shot by soldiers. The Second Intifada against the Occupation began. One response by the Israeli government was to close off the West Bank and Gaza and to restrict the ability of Palestinians to travel within and to leave Palestine. As a result, most Palestinians no longer have access to Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Loss of access has only served to sharpen the importance of the mosque for Palestinian Muslims. This sense of loss and the continued desire to journey to Al Aqsa to pray are common components of cultural productions in Palestine. The Lost Right deals with similar themes. A young man trying to make it to Al-Aqsa faces a series of obstacles and is finally arrested for attempting to cross into Israeli territory. Although the boy is imprisoned, he reaches the holy site in his dreams. Nahlah chose to write about Al-Aqsa because she too is unable to set foot there. Her family home is only fifteen minutes from Al-Aqsa, but she can only look at the silver dome from her roof top. Every year there is the Arab festival celebrating Arab culture and unity. This year it was held in Jerusalem, outside the Qalandia checkpoint. Nahlah, like all other West Bank Palestinians was not permitted to attend, but in nearby Ramallah they could hear the music and see the fireworks. Nahlah was living in Nablus but was unable to celebrate because of a curfew. A passionate and strong young woman, Nahlah is originally from Jerusalem before her family was expelled and the Wall was constructed. A second year student, she decided to follow her heart and switch from Science to Fine Arts. Her first year at An-Najah was difficult as she had to pass through four Israeli army checkpoints each day; some days she was unable to make it because the checkpoints were closed. In her vibrant art, Nahlah has found the place of the imagination that can take her mind away from the atrocities her community suffer and the constant housing demolitions in her area of Jerusalem. One day Nahlah hopes to travel to Spain and Malaysia to tell her story and exhibit her artwork.
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We are two friends . We love our country, Palestine. We wonder how to shed light on the Palestinian issue and let people know about the lost Palestinian rights.
Our children only know about Al-Aqsa through pictures... In Jerusalem, On the asphalt we prayed, In Jerusalem, Others are in Jerusalem, Except you.
Tamim Al-Barghothy
Al- Aqsa, the place from where our messenger left to the 7th heaven and returned in one night. 27
You may not be aware of what is happening in Al-Aqsa mosque. It is being desecrated, excavations beneath it are increasing and the danger of collapse is rising. What did we do to deserve this? We need to protect our Islamic holy lands and holy places. Come, travel to see the tragedy closely and tell the world about it. The world must know we are a nation that doesn't give up. We do not abandon our holy places or even an inch of our land Palestine is sacred to us and Jerusalem, our capital, is slowly drifting away. 28
o
o oo
N h O
The road is closed‌ we have to turn back to Nablus again.
Oh Noooo at, h W ? why
Here foun , I diffe d a rent way !!
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I hope it is not another trap!! What is that wall over there?
Me too
Oh my god
Stop here Nooo...not again What’s my crime? I didn’t do any thing. Leave me alone!
What do you want from me? I just want to pray
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GO AHEAD YOU TERRORIST
Damn you, where are you taking me? You criminals, leave our land!
Shut up, if you say another word I swear I’ll smash your bones
God help me, get me out of here…please
Get it, you’re a terrorist. Al-Aqsa is not for you
I pray to only you, Allah, please bring freedom to me and my people. Al-Aqsa Mosque is a sacred place to which we should be free to go
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Always Beside You
Saja Saffarini
The city of Tulkarm (mount of vineyards) is on the west edge of the West Bank. The area is famed for the fertility of its land, but much of it has now been annexed by the Wall, the construction of which destroyed hundreds of thousands of olive trees. Tulkarm has been subject to frequent invasions by the Israeli military. Movement around the region is severely restricted by multiple checkpoints between Tulkarm and Nablus, denying people access to healthcare and post-secondary education. Before the Wall was built, the city was a thriving agricultural centre with economic ties with Israeli communities. Now the economy is crippled and unemployment rates are extremely high. Driving through Tulkarm, you see the tattered infrastructure of what was once a bustling city. In her story Saja deals with love in Tulkarm under the Occupation. A young artist falls in love with a boy who must leave Palestine in order to continue his studies. The story unfolds in a confusion of art, blood, death and loss. Always Beside You reminds us how people struggle under appalling circumstance to find love and build relationships. In the West Bank, families are often separated by checkpoints, by border controls, and by travel restrictions and among the many who have died from violence in recent years are husbands, wives, and lovers. Saja has a passionate sense of hope for the future of her people, buoyed by "the people’s love for Palestine". As well as working on completing her Bachelor of Fine Arts, Saja is highly involved in her community. After completing a master’s degree, she plans to stay in Palestine, hoping to teach and inspire her students. Her artwork draws on her experiences in Tulkarm during the Intifada. Her trip to Nablus, once a twenty minute journey but now taking an hour or more because of road closures and checkpoints, is a daily reminder that she must prevail and express her frustrations and her hopes through her artwork.
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Rami!
Don’t cry. I will be back soon. I’ll miss you
What are you doing here?
Please take care of yourself
I’ll wait for you
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My love, I just wanted to say goodbye
At her family home...
How was your day?
M O O
B
Daddy I’m scared
M
BOO
HELP
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How can I help? Ahh, I can use my canvas as bandages
She cut up all her beautiful paintings to help the wounded
Ahh, so much smoke
I’m watching the paint mix with my people’s blood So much blood, screaming and death
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I’m coming for you, Sara
Rami, I wish you were with me
This is impossible. How did you get here?
HELP
Rami hold on. I’ll get help
If you die I will die too
Nooo
I..I love you 36
Oh god, don’t go please
She took his ring and put it on
Four days later, she visited his grave and softly placed their picture on his tomb, crying and wishing to meet him in heaven soon
Mom, please take care of my will. If anything happens to me please follow it As you wish dear, but nothing will happen to you.
The ring fell from her hand
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When I die, please bury me beside my love
Miriam
Eman Abu Arrah All checkpoints in Palestine are bad. They are sites of humiliation, fear, frustration, and violence. People line up for hours, their IDs are checked, their bags and pockets emptied and searched, and soldiers submit them to questioning, often accepting only answers in Hebrew. The Huwarra checkpoint just south of Nablus is infamous. The checkpoint separates many people in local villages from family members in Nablus, making the journey to a family celebration a daunting task. At the gate, there are lines of people, much like cattle waiting to make it through small turnstiles, heavily armed young soldiers, and a watchtower from which soldiers observe the scene. The bustling of people desperate to make it through can make for a hectic situation. Sometimes those in line get frustrated and start to fight to keep their place. Always there is the threat of violence and possible gunfire from a nervous, careless or angry young soldier. Many parents refuse to take their children through checkpoints as the process is traumatizing for both children and parents. is a story about the experience of a young woman losing her little brother in the confusion of the Huwarra checkpoint. Desperate to find him before the soldiers do, Miriam is forced by the curfew to hide under the trees and sleep before she begins her search again. Eman is from the town of Jenin in the northern West Bank and her own experiences at checkpoints there shaped this story. Eman has been studying Painting at An-Najah University for four years and will graduate this summer. She aspires to pursue a master’s program in France, Tunisia or Egypt. A top student, Eman has already received two scholarships. She usually works with oil paints but her experience with graphic novels has inspired her to explore new forms of expression. Eman hopes sequential art can provide a framework for dialogue between her community and the world.
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Let’s go to Nablu s
Yeah!!
I can’t buy you everything
Why not?
I’ll be back before nighttime See you
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OH no‌there are always delays at Huwarra checkpoint
Why are you so nervous? Just take it
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Where are you?
o
o…n
…n No
Have you seen a little boy?
Miriam where are you?
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Wake up, we found your brother
Miriam
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Summer Rain
Nisreen Yousef Qawwas Qalqilya is a city in the West Bank, located in an important water basin which supplies about half of the West Bank's water supply. Israel's colonization of the West Bank has focused on seizing control of both the most fertile land and water resources. As a result, the city has been almost completely encircled by the Wall. Nisreen is from Qalqilya and shares the common feelings of isolation, imprisonment and loss caused by the building of the Wall and the confiscation of land. Nisreen points out, "Before, we were able to come in and out of our city from many directions, but now it's like a jail". Farmers must get a permit to harvest the produce on their land on the other side of the Wall. The Israeli authorities often refuse to give these permits as, because of name changes after marriage, the names of the current landholders do not match the names on original land deeds from the Ottoman Empire Adding to this misery is the fact that Qalqilya has recently been the site for fighting between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas. At the beginning of June 2009, there was a shootout between Palestinian Authority (Fateh) forces and Hamas fighters on the streets of the city. Summer Rain is a unique story; the author wrote it while trapped inside her home with fighters scampering across the roof. For two days, people were kept inside their houses and as result, Nisreen was unable to attend the beginning of the graphic novel workshop. She did however map out and begin to illustrate a story, driven by the events which were unfolding around her. She came to the final days of the workshop exhausted but proud she was able to complete her story. Nisreen was distraught about seeing the consequences of a divided society where Palestinians kill Palestinians. She notes that "the people who were killed by the Authority were also wanted by Israel. I don’t know who is to blame, but this only continues the suffering of Palestine". Nisreen sadly observes, "We are a peaceful nation, but we don’t see peace because of fighting from inside and out". Her dream is to one day see freedom. She wants to be a mediator between the different factions and help work towards a coalition and eventually democracy in Palestine. She came to Nablus to study art and become a teacher. She wants to teach children “solidarity and partnership and creative expression.” After completing a master's degree, she would like to teach at the university.
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Qalqilya is located in the West Bank and since 2003 it has been completely encircled by the Wall, with only one entry point. This has been the sight of intense internal conflict between Hamas and Fateh, terrorizing the city. 45
June 3rd, 2009: The two factions clashed during Fateh’s search for a top Hamas official wanted by the Israeli Defense Forces. At 10:00pm, as each side scurries through the main street in Qalqilya, running across rooftops and opening fire at one another, families are locked inside their houses afraid for their lives. This was one of two incursions this week. Six people were killed. 46
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Mohammad, what are you doing? They’re outside, you might get hurt, get back here
7:30 am Fateh gathered to leave the scene; their job was done. More Palestinians died because of political divisions 48
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The Return
Heyam Da’as The 1948 Nakba (catastrophe) affected all Palestinian people in one way or another. Some were murdered in their villages. Hundreds of thousands were driven from their lands and homes, to become refugees in the West Bank or Gaza, or to become part of the Palestinian diaspora in other countries. As part of the effort to eradicate even the memory of these refugees, hundreds of Palestinian villages were destroyed. Other houses were given to new Jewish immigrants to Israel. Many of the Palestinian refugees in the camps of Nablus and elsewhere still retain the keys and deeds to these homes. But the Nakba continues today as Palestinians continue to have their lands seized and their homes destroyed by soldiers or occupied by settlers. The Return is a story about this experience. The main character is an older woman who lives with her husband and son on the land of her ancestors. Soldiers come, take her son, and force the family from the land, creating yet more refugees. Ironically, the camp they end up in is called Ein al-Hilwa, beautiful spring. The loss of lives in the struggle over land is a reality here, but Heyam also writes about the possibility of return and the desire for freedom. The keys symbolize the desire of refugees to return to the homes from which they were expelled. Heyam is from Oura, a small village in the West Bank. A third year student at An-Najah University, she hopes to continue her studies in Jordan or Syria. She writes about her experiences and what it>s like to live with surrounded by settlements.
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So nice to get home after a long day in the fields with my son
What do you want with my son? He’s never done anything
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Oh god, why would the soldiers take my son?
After they removed the young man, they took the house under illegal occupation and evicted the people from their land. They had no home to go to.
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The couple fled to the Ein Al-Hilwa Camp in Lebanon.
Don’t hurt me.
She constantly thinks about her son.
As feared, he was dead.
I can only hope the soldiers didn’t kill him 53
He died an innocent martyr.
As a martyr, he died and went straight to heaven. At least knowing he is safe there gives me comfort.
We will always have the keys to our home and one day we will return. 54
BOOM
In Palestine, our sons are lost and our homes are taken but one day we will return just as I have to my family home. Our people will flourish in the land we call Palestine.
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Oreef’s Hawk
Sawsan Shahade The village of Oreef has been continually attacked by settlers from the nearby Sahar Settlement. In just one month in 2009, eleven people from Oreef were injured in these attacks. The settlers also destroy crops, kill farm animals, and defile the wells. They cut or burn the olive trees, often doing this just before the harvest season so that the loss is even more tangible. Olives are the main agricultural produce of the area and a vital part of a family’s income. It will take another two hundred years at least for new trees to grow to maturity. The story is about the resistance in Oreef to settler's attacks. The character is a teenage boy named Saqer (Hawk) who has nightmares about settlers taking over his village. First the villagers protest, then they organize to resist the settlers and soldiers. Sawsan was inspired to write the story to show that Palestinian resistance is a form of self-defense. Recently, Sawsan's seventeen year old brother, Ismail, was taken by Israeli soldiers in the middle of the night. Detained for over three months, his trial has been continuously delayed. The reason given for his arrest was that he attended the mosque to pray more than once a day and, in the soldier's words, “the mosque is a place for terrorists”. A first year student, Sawsan, is only nineteen years old, studying Painting. She took the graphic novels course in the hope of finding an effective medium for communicating with the outside world. As an artist, Sawsan feels her audience in Palestine is limited and the graphic novel is a way to let the world see her talent.
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Oh Dad
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Look at them; what are they trying to prove? They just want to destroy our land.
Let’s burn the trees
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Saqer, the solders are near our village and they’ve already burned the olive trees
Are you ready? YEAAAH
How dare you? We don’t want to revenge; we just want peace.
No Uncle, if we don’t fight for our freedom, who will?
He’s right Come on, let’s get all our men ready
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We must have revenge
Everyday, settlers move into Palestinian territory but Arabs are not allowed out of the West Bank
We may only have stones and sticks but we have the right to defend ourselves. 60
WOW...we have liberated our people
Allaho Akbar, Allaho Akbar
Without these new settlements, the world would be so much better.
Dad, I love you! I feel so free
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On This Earth We Deserve Life
Ahmed Masri
Ahmed is twenty two years old and lives in the Balata Camp in Nablus with his large family of eight children and his parents. His family is originally from Bier Saba, renamed Bier Sheva after its inhabitants were driven out in 1948. Balata has been a focal point of resistance to the Occupation and has faced years of almost daily Israeli incursions. Children in the camp grow accustomed to the sound of shooting, to raids on their homes, to curfews and to seeing their fathers and elder brothers beaten and arrested. Those carrying Balata ID come in for special treatment at checkpoints. Ahmed himself was shot and wounded at a checkpoint. Although education is highly valued in Palestine, the economic and social consequences of the Occupation have led to a steady decline in educational achievement. Doing homework when soldiers are shooting outside your house every night is difficult. Even schools are not safe places. School children and teachers have been killed in the classrooms; many schools have been damaged or destroyed; others have been used as holding and interrogation centers by Israelis forces. In Balata, less than 20% of children pass the tawjihe, the final secondary school exams. This, together with endemic poverty, means that few children from Balata make it to university. When they do, they face the same restrictions on their right to education as other students. On This Earth We Deserve Life is, on one level, a story about these struggles to secure an education under the current conditions. Ahmed sees the graphic novel as a non-violent form of creative resistance, a cultural product that can make his community stronger. Ahmed is in his third year of the Graphic Design program and plans to work in the field while also continue his work with a local cultural centre in Balata.
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The Israeli solders intimidate Palestinian students and disrupt their studies
It’s hard to concentrate
WHAT? I have to repeat the year?
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In the store
In the shop
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Huwarra check point
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Why? Why did the Israeli solders shoot me?
Faculty of Fine Arts
Music Department | Practice Rooms
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The Lost Olives
Amnah Dweikat The olive tree is of tremendous importance for Palestine, which is still essentially an agricultural society. It is the mainstay of the agricultural economy, providing the bulk of a family’s income of the year. Olive oil from a farm graces the tables of all the cities as both olive oil and olives are present during virtually every meal in Palestinian homes. The cycle of the olive tree underlies the cycle of village life. After the Spring rains stop, the land around the trees is ploughed to help retain moisture in the dry season and to take out the weeds. During the olive harvest in late September, the whole family, from grandparents to grandchildren, participates: from dawn to dusk the men shake the olives down and the women and children gather them. The trees also produce residue from the olive pressing making jifit, which is used to help start fires and also as a fertilizer. The trees are also important symbolically. Most villages have trees hundreds of years old, usually known as Roman trees. Planted during the Roman occupation of Palestine, these trees have seen a series of foreign occupations come and go. Rooted in the land, the trees endure and prevail as do the people of Palestine. From the tree also comes the olive branch, the universal symbol of peace which Palestinians so desperately want. Unfortunately, olive trees have a new significance. The building of the Wall has led to the destruction of tens of thousands of olives trees; the Roman trees are seized by Israelis to grace the illegal settlements or for sale in Europe. The first wave of destruction by settlers in their attacks on Palestinians always involves the destruction of olive trees by fire or axe. The Lost Olives is the story of one such attack which was witnessed by the writer. Amnah is another writer from Balata refugee camp in Nablus. The only one in her family to attend university, she is in her first year at An-Najah in the Painting program, specializing in oils. Amnah also writes short stories, fiction and poetry. She would like to invite everyone, especially other artists to come to Palestine to see for themselves the difference between media myths and reality.
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You have 10 minutes to leave
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We deserve freedom This is our land now
Planting new trees. At least we are in peace and soon we’ll get our freedom.
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Free Reign
Islam Al-Ashqar The Wall is now just about complete. Creating the world’s largest outdoor prison, the Wall cuts off Palestinian villages from the West Bank, farmers from their land, family members from each other; in places it runs across main streets, between houses and across a university campus. Inside the West Bank, a complex network of hundreds of checkpoints, settler roads, military zones, and movement restrictions further limit the ability of Palestinians to travel in their own country. In Free Reign horses run free, unaware of the wall that is gradually being built around them. Slowly, the wall encircles and closes in on the land upon which they roam; the space they have to play becomes smaller and smaller. The horses are unable to return home because of checkpoints, leading to a powerful confrontation between horse and soldier. It seems the horse, a symbol of strength and freedom, will not be contained. Islam is a 25 year old student of Fine Arts, specializing in interior design. In his third year at An-Najah, Islam is currently working in graphics. Islam has also been in a choral group and an actor. Art, for Islam, is a way to express his feelings about the current situation. He is from Tulkarm, east of Nablus, and has to pass through two checkpoints to get to university. His favorite part of Palestine, the green rolling hills of his region, is now mostly in Israel, on the other side of the Wall.
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Oh my newborn son, welcome to Palestine. I love you so much
Come on, it’s easy. You have to learn to walk and eventually you will run
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Yeah, that would be great
Come on Mom, please play with me
I can’t play now. Go make some new friends
Ok, but don’t go too far
Look over there mom, some new friends
Hey guys, can I play with you?
Cool
dy, Yeah bud y! come pla
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Who is the fastest here? Probably me!
Where is the start and finish line?
Deal
Ok, let’s race Deal
No way, I am the fastest
From here to the tree up there. Deal?
I’M THE FASTEST
Wait for us
A little bit to the right…
It’s getting late, let’s go home
Come on guys Where are you going? Don’t try to enter
Wait a minute
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I’m so hungry Try these; they look good
Wow, so many oranges to eat, yummy
r Waitefo m
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I have to pass Are you good?
Don’t move or I’ll shoot you WTF
No, I want to pass!
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Acknowledgments This project wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for the help of Kevin Maloney, editing text and reviewing visual content. Sincere congratulations to Insaf Al-Shahed for her personal dedication to the graphic design aspects of the book as well as her graphic story The Promise. The Arabic translation services of Anas Khanfar and Tharwa Abu Zeina are dearly appreciated, along with the in-class language translator’s Raed Enab, Ashraf Sarawi and Mohammed Samara. Thank-you to Abdul Hakim Sabbah and Jeremy Wildeman for all their efforts in organizing the class for me to teach, and editors to help with project completion. I would like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding in putting this project together, especially in such a short period of time. I must give a special dedication to my beloved mother, Jo-Ann Cox, for all her support. The team effort put forward by Project Hope made this dream of graphic novels in Palestine a reality. Thank-you all.
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